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Ultra-Processed Foods Are Strongly Linked to Poor Health
Ultra-processed foods are clearly linked to poor health.
The body of every person on this planet is affected by what they eat.
A major Canadian study has found a strong and direct connection between ultra-processed foods and several harmful health indicators.
These foods include munchies such as those spherical cheese puffs we’ve all seen in gigantic plastic jars, frozen pizzas, frozen burritos, cereals (especially those with animal mascots), and other ready-to-eat products that are high in added fats, sugars and various additives.
How the Study Was Done
Researchers at McMaster University were the first in Canada to use detailed health data from a large, diverse population to explore the relationship between so-called junk food and human health.
The team studied information from over 6,000 adults across Canada.
The participants had completed questionnaires for the Canadian Health Measures Survey, run by Health Canada and Statistics Canada.
They were also examined at mobile clinics to collect physical health data.
The research looked at how much heavily processed food that each person consumed, and they compared that with factors such as blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol levels, insulin and other markers of health.
Yes, Some Foods Are Bad for Your Body
©Lorra Garrick
People who ate the most ultra-processed or “bad” foods were more likely to be men, have lower incomes and education levels, and eat fewer fruits and vegetables.
But plenty of women, too, have a diet steeped in highly processed items.
The study results said that people who eat a lot of bad food also tended to have a higher body mass index (BMI), a larger waist size [height to weight ratio is actually more indicative of excess body fat than is a BMI in the “overweight” range], higher blood pressure, and worse cholesterol and insulin levels than those who ate fewer of these foods.
Even after accounting for body weight, the connections between junk food consumption and poor health still stood solid.
This suggests that the negative effects of these foods go beyond just weight gain.
This is why thin people can be unhealthy – not because they’re thin or of slender build, but because foods with added sugars, bad kind of fats, excess sodium and all sorts of additives are going into their bodies.
Researchers believe other processes are at work, such as increased inflammation, insulin resistance and disruptions in how the body handles sugars and fats — factors known to raise the chances of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Other Adjustments that Were Made
The team also adjusted for other possible influences, such as smoking, physical activity, overall food intake, income and education.
Despite these adjustments, the connection between highly processed food and poor health remained strong.
According to Anthea Christoforou, an assistant professor at McMaster University and senior author of the study, the issue isn’t just what’s in the food, but how it is made, packaged and promoted.
These elements together create a food supply that drives many people to make less healthful choices.
Other Health Markers
The study also looked at biological signs of inflammation, particularly levels of C-reactive protein and white blood cell counts.
These are both signals the body sends when it detects something harmful.
The researchers found that people who ate more bad food had higher levels of both.
This indicates that the body may be reacting to these foods as if they were foreign substances rather than nutrition or healthful forms of fuel.
Why does junk food have so much appeal?
Ultra-processed foods are usually packaged for convenience [and also with visual appeal), and they are often heavily advertised.
- On that last point, look no further than TV commercials for cereal and fast food.
- Junk food is also heavily marketed on commercial breaks during Saturday morning cartoons.
Unhealthy foods tend to be high in salt, added sugar and bad fats (e.g., trans fat), while offering little in terms of fiber, vitamins or minerals.
Because they’re easy to access and require little or no preparation (just pop it in the microwave), people with lower incomes or busier lives can easily be drawn to them.
On average, Canadians in the study ate more than three servings of UPFs daily.
But those who consumed the most reported eating six servings a day or more.
The researchers believe this is displacing healthier choices like fruits and vegetables.
It’s tempting to blame poverty on unhealthy eating, but the paper points out that the harmful effects of highly processed foods were found across all income and education levels.
This means the risks are not limited to any single group and that actions to reduce harm should apply to the whole population.
Certainly, it wouldn’t be difficult to locate well-to-do people whose cupboards and food pantries are fully stocked with ultra-processed goods.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages and abilities for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health.
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